


Someday, I'll find the right words

by Lost_at_Sea



Category: Mean Girls (2004), Mean Girls - Richmond/Benjamin/Fey
Genre: F/F, School Reunion, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-11
Updated: 2018-06-11
Packaged: 2019-05-21 00:38:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14905206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lost_at_Sea/pseuds/Lost_at_Sea
Summary: Regina George’s life is amazing. Of course, it is. She’s 28 and she’s one of the biggest up-and-coming fashion designers and stylists in New York. So when she gets the invitation to her 10-year high school reunion her small smirk turns to a feral grin and she immediately RSVPs yes.Janis Sarkisian is 28 years old and has been thriving since she left college. She’s successful and wildly happy. She is incredibly proud of how far she’s come, so of course, she RSVPed yes to this High School Reunion, had Damian help her pick out something stellar to wear, and got ready to stunt on all those imbeciles who’d keyed her locker, or never noticed her. She’s elated to say it worked.Prompts filled; 10 year high school reunion, Mrs. George's wedding + jealousy,





	Someday, I'll find the right words

Regina George’s life is amazing. Of course, it is. She’s 28 and she’s one of the biggest up-and-coming fashion designers and stylists in New York. She’s slowly becoming a household name. She’s working with Louis Vuitton and she’s going to Paris Fashion Week. She’s got a huge social media presence and she’s friends with so many actors and fashion models that she’s becoming a big name. 

So when she gets the invitation to her 10-year high school reunion her small smirk turns to a feral grin and she immediately RSVPs yes. She’s ten seconds away from being a little self-conscious that she doesn’t have anyone to bring when she remembers that she’s going to be the center of attention all night with or without someone on her arm. She calls her assistant and starts figuring out what she’s going to wear. 

She rolls up, a month later, to her mom’s house. Her mom had divorced her dad in Regina’s third year of college, and she’s been through the ringer a few times since. Her new boyfriend, Ross, is handsome and rich but this time, Regina actually thinks he loves her mom. He’s a little dorky- he invented some weird app thing that Regina forgets what it actually does- and he wears tweed jackets but he smiles at her mom like Sabrina George is his entire world and while it makes part of Regina roll her eyes, she’s actually really happy for her mom. 

When she pulls up, Ross and Sabrina are on the porch, looking all the dream couple on their front step. Ross comes over and grabs one of Regina’s suitcases and her mom gives her a big hug and Regina doesn’t even have to stifle a groan, just leans into it. She’s incredibly busy nowadays and she doesn’t often get to come home. She’s grown past it all enough to admit (just to herself and her mom occasionally) how much she likes coming home. Ross puts his hand on her shoulder as her mom hugs her and Regina rolls her eyes, but at herself because she can feel her heart swell a little at it. 

She grabs her other suitcase, her purse, and her work bag and follows her mom and Ross into the house. 

Sabrina’s gotten really into redecorating in the last few years (and Regina finally let her mom have the master back when she went to college) so Regina barely recognizes the house. It’s modern; marble and white with black accents and lots of greenery. There’s still pink accents but it’s a little less glaring. Regina really likes it and makes sure to tell her mom that. Ross takes her stuff to her room despite her protests and Regina smiles at him warmly. He looks a little shocked. It took a while for Regina to trust him, but now she does. He grins back at her. 

They spend the evening catching up over dinner, Ross and her mom are both super interested in how her charity program is going, and to see her latest drawing and designs. Once they start talking about Regina’s passions all bets are off and Regina lets the last of her walls crumble, sinking into being home with people love her and surrounded by the things she loves. Sabrina goes to bed after her third glass of white wine and Ross stays up with her in the living room. He regards her for a long moment. 

“How long are you staying for, kiddo?”

He’d insisted upon calling her kiddo from the get-go and she’s started to care less. 

“Reunion stuff’s on Friday and I’ll fly back to New York on Sunday morning.”

He nods. Looks at her again. She’s just about to ask him if he’s ok when he bids her goodnight and exits. 

Regina goes up to her room and smiles. The room is the same as the rest of the house, but there’s one accent wall that’s a soft dusty pink. Regina’s changing into her bedtime clothes when she sees a picture from her senior year. 

In the picture are Karen, Gretchen, and Regina in the middle. Cady and Aaron are behind them on the right, Kevin the mathletes and Shane are crouched down in front of them and Damian is behind them on the left. Half of Janis Sarkisian’s face and one full middle finger are in frame. The picture is from Karen, Gretchen, and Regina’s grad party. At that point in time, all of them had been decently good friends. Janis had never trusted them really, but they were all civil and hung out a lot. 

Regina’s still in touch with Karen and Gretchen and Cady but she realizes, as she looks at the picture, that she hasn’t been in touch with them enough. And as she looks at Damian in his silly hat and Kevin and Shane making silly faces, she realizes she misses all of them. 

She slides into bed and grabs her phone. She starts with Gretchen. 

Regina. Wednesday 11:34 pm: Hey, Gretchen. Sorry, it’s been so long. Are you in town for the reunion?

She doesn’t have to wait long for her response.

Gretchen. Wednesday 11:40 pm: Regina!!!! Yes! Me and Karen flew in from LA this afternoon. Are you in town? We should get dinner tomorrow night!

Regina. Wednesday 11:40 pm: I am in town, just got in this evening. I’d love to get lunch with the two of you. Is Cady in town?

Gretchen. Wednesday 11:42 pm: Actually neither of us know… she’s so busy over in Africa with her lions and stuff. You want me to text her, or you?

Regina. Wednesday 11:42 pm: I will no worries. I’ll let you know what she says, but see you tomorrow!

Gretchen. Wednesday 11:42 pm: Tits! See you tomorrow!!!

Regina laughs, remembering that once Janis had introduced Gretchen to the phrase ‘that’s tits’ that Gretchen had loved it and, apparently, never let it go. She scrolls through her contacts. 

Regina. Wednesday 11:44 pm: Hey Cady. Long time no see!! How’s Africa? I was wondering if you were going to be in town for the reunion. 

Regina’s almost asleep when Cady responds. 

Cady. Thursday 12:07am. Hey Regina. I’ll be in tomorrow at 11 am. Or I guess today! Couldn’t get too much time away from the lions! I’m assuming you’ll be in town? I’ve been following your life as much as I can being remote here and stuff! I’m sorry it’s been so long since we’ve talked, but you look like you’ve got it going ON!

She and Cady talk until Regina can’t keep her eyes open, catching up and making plans for dinner the next evening. Regina manages to text Gretchen a confirmation before she falls asleep. She notes absently before sleep claims her, that she’s smiling. 

•••

Regina spends the morning with her mom and Ross and it’s honestly pleasant. Her mom wants to go to the mall with her that afternoon and get manicures. Regina looks down at her perfect nails and goes with her. Pays for the both of them. 

By the time that’s done it’s time for Regina to get ready for her dinner. It’s just gonna be her and Gretchen and Karen and Cady and Aaron. Cady and Aaron are married now and it’s kind of shocking to Regina but also… not that surprising. They were perfect for each other and Aaron loves working with the kids in Kenya while Cady’s out with her lions. She’s ashamed to realize that she doesn’t know much about Gretchen and Karen’s love lives except that last she checked both of them were single. 

She has to fight every urge in her body to go to this dinner way over-dressed and showing off. She only relents to wearing a skin-tight yellow dress and putting her hair into an elaborate updo because she knows she’s going to have the opportunity to show off at the reunion the next evening. So she puts on a pair of shoes she designed three years ago instead of her custom Louboutins. She goes easy on the makeup and the jewelry. As she looks at herself in the mirror she smiles. She’s done well for herself and while she loves her friends and is excited to just catch up, she’s worked really hard to be this successful and she isn’t ashamed of showing that off, just a little. 

Ross and Sabrina tell her she looks beautiful and she smiles, hugs them goodnight, kisses her mom on her cheek and gets in her rented car. 

•••

Regina George used to be someone who thought making an entrance was the best way to get somewhere. And she plans on bringing that back out for tomorrow, but her life in the professional world has conditioned her to arriving very early to things, so she’s the first to the restaurant. They’re at the fanciest restaurant within a good range of the high school and the last time Regina was there was when she graduated high school. The hostess (an absolutely gorgeous redhead) seats Regina and grins at her. Regina smirks and winks then flips her hair in a movement she perfected long ago. It’s kind-of her signature ‘thing’ and a video of her doing it went semi-viral once. Kind of like salt bar. She sees the girl’s jaw drop as she recognizes the blonde. 

Regina’s sitting at the table when she hears Gretchen and Karen squeal. She grins brightly and stands to hug her old friends. 

Gretchen and Karen have both been treated well with time. Karen still loves her denim vests but she’s traded it out for a beige dress and killer heels. Her hair is shorter now, reaches her collarbones barely, and she wears much less makeup. Gretchen, for her part, is finally past the denim skirt movement and is in a dark purple jumpsuit. Regina smiles at the both of them. Gretchen’s a lawyer in LA she handles famous people’s lawsuits and Karen works in her office. She’s half Gretchen’s PA and half someone they just have to entertain and corral their clients. They both seem incredibly happy. 

It takes Regina 1 minute and 14 seconds to realize they’re dating. It’s the way they’re standing. They’re holding hands, but that’s not new. It’s how close they’re standing, and then Gretchen looks over at Karen and has this look on her face and Regina smirks. 

“So when were the two of you planning on telling me?”

Gretchen looks shocked but Karen just smiles. “Isn’t it great, Regina! I’m so happy Gretch finally admitted what all those old feelings were.”

Regina’s smile is 100% authentic when she hugs them both again and congratulates them. 

Cady and Aaron arrive then, and Cady’s in navy dress pants and a button up with bicycles on it and Aaron’s in nice jeans and a blazer and Regina rolls her eyes at them but hugs them and gushes over Cady’s baby bump and then processes that and freaks out a little. 

They spend the next ten minutes catching up. It’s a credit to Gretchen and Karen and their jobs (and Aaron and Cady who could barely care less) that they don’t assault her for all the information about her A-list celebrities that she styles and designs for and her new job with Louis Vuitton. Instead, they’re just curious, if not a little envious of her glamorous life. It’s fun at first and then she’s tired of the looks and starts telling them the less glam parts both for her sake and for theirs. The grass is always greener and all. 

But she doesn’t let them forget how much she loves her life and how hard she’s worked. She finds out more about Cady and the baby and how they’re going to manage that. Aaron’s so excited and Regina has no doubts that he’s going to be a fantastic father. Cady has a bit of worry around her eyes and Regina makes a mental note to talk to her later and check up on her over the next few months. 

They stay out way way too late, laughing and chuckling and by the end of the night Aaron comes up to her. 

“You know in some ways you haven’t changed, and in others, I don’t recognize you at all.” 

Regina doesn’t know what to take from that and Aaron’s face is unreadable. 

“I’m really proud of you, Regina.”

She grins. 

•••

The Reunion evening starts at 7:30 pm. A dance and drinks and desserts and everyone knows the first two hours will be talking and then after that, it’ll be drunk dancing and people escaping to go have trysts in the locker rooms or broom closets like the olden days. Regina has kept track of a lot of her classmates and she’s confident in saying she’s the only one who’s a household name. She’s well on her way to being legitimately famous and she knows that people are going to be whispering about whether or not she’s coming that evening. She plans on getting there around 8:15. You have to check in before 9, and Regina wants to maximize the number of people who see her entrance and the amount of time she has to rub it in the people who wished she’d fail’s faces that she didn’t, and apologize to those that it took a while for her to realize she hurt. 

Regina George has a killer outfit for this evening because of course, she does. She takes it out of the garment bag and hangs it up on the door to her closet, looking at it. She’d made it with one of her mentees, Clara. The sleeveless dress has a white bodice and a black flowing skirt. A layer that comes to mid-thigh and a longer layer that goes to the floor. A beautiful dusty pink and warm green floral pattern adorns the skirt and it hugs Regina’s figure perfectly. She puts on her custom Louboutins. 

She curls her hair and puts it in an elaborate updo - something that looks wispy and effortless but she spent some time on. She keeps her makeup simple yet striking, shaping her already distinctive bone structure and wearing a soft pink lip. She looks at herself in the mirror. It’s probably not what people are expecting, a soft flowing look, shiny cheekbones and bright eyes. She’s not as hard edges as she used to be, and she loves it. She wants everyone to see how far she’s come, see how she’s made it, but she also wants them to see how she’s changed. 

She comes downstairs and, just like her mom always does, Sabrina tears up at the sight of her. It’s a welcome gesture and Regina grins as she rolls her eyes fondly. Ross looks her up and down and grins, hugs her and tells her “nice job kiddo!” It’s really quite sweet. 

She steps out into the night, perfectly on time for her late entrance, and she feels like she rules the world. 

•••

She walks into the gym of her high-school and she remembers all those times in college when she thought about going back to her high school reunion and wanting to be able to impress her peers. She’s more than exceeded her (and she’s sure their) expectations. Taylor Wedell and Jason Weems are handling check-in and while Jason Weems rolls his eyes, Regina can see the shimmer of awe in them. And Taylor Wedell, well she doesn’t even hide it. She stands up (where Regina can then notice she’s well-along in a pregnancy) and goes to hug Regina. It takes everything in the taller blonde to not brush her off as she accepts the light hug. 

“Regina George, I never thought you’d be coming to this little shindig. Honestly, when I saw your RSVP I didn’t believe it…”

Regina chuckles politely. “Oh well, we all like reminiscing about the old days.” She glances around, strong and firm, bite entering her voice just a little; “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”

Taylor looks like she’s about to ask Regina a million more questions when she realizes there’s kind-of a line forming so she gives Regina her name tag, which Regina promptly disposes of (if people don’t remember her, recognize her, or know who she is then they’re probably not gonna speak to her anyway. Plus, it clashes) and waves at her as Regina struts away. 

She has to walk through the entrance doors and then down a few steps before she can be in the main area. The gym’s been renovated and it looks nice tonight, she must admit. They haven’t gone overboard with the decorations or the memorabilia and there are quite a few people already there. 

She feels a thrill at the fact that as soon as her left heel touches the last step, she can feel eyes on her from every direction, and there’s been a decrease of talking and an increase of whispering. Pretending (quite well she thinks) that she doesn’t notice anything she spots Gretchen and Karen out of the corner of her eye but swings her hair over her shoulders as she “looks around for them”. Practiced, she smirks and then stalks towards them. She’s never really lost the love for the feeling of people staring at her in awe as she walks by. It happens a little less in the crowded streets of New York, and she’s taken a sort-of backseat job in the fashion industry, but being back at North Shore and having people gawp at her… it’s a bit of a high. 

Regina walks up to a Gretchen, who is smiling at her, knowing and soft. Gretchen is in a nice navy blue pantsuit without a shirt and she looks hot. Regina tells her as much and she delights in the way Gretchen grins. Karen - in her gold dress - playfully tells Regina to back off and the three of them share a laugh; Regina - ever poised - merely chuckling. 

•••

She spends the next thirty minutes mingling with lots of people. She sees Cady and Aaron and talks to them for a bit. She talks to Kevin G (who’s a professor at MIT now) and he’s flanked by his two mathlete buddies who she’ll never remember the name of. One owns a niche coffee shop in Seattle and the other is getting his second Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering and Regina just blinks a little. She congratulates them both, honestly impressed and they seem shocked. 

Lots of people come up to her and ask her about her charity (usually poking around to see if it’s a publicity stunt) or the celebrities she styles and designs for or just general (and usually invasive) questions about her life but she’s been balancing the paparazzi and interviews much more vicious than these people for going on three years now, so while the stings sting more, she’s ready for them. 

She’s speaking to Shane Ohman when it happens. They’re standing near the edge of the dance floor. She’s facing the bar and he the entrance. One minute she’s listening to Shane’s tipsy, teary recounting of his baby girl’s first steps (which wow and also wow) when she notices his gaze slip past her shoulder and then his jaw drops. Her brow furrows but she doesn’t think too much of it until she hears Gretchen gasp from somewhere to her left and the room grows still and silent; like everyone is holding a breath. Regina makes a mental checklist of which of her peers could elicit such a reaction and comes up short. So she finally turns around. 

There, right past the entrance, at the top of the steps is a girl like a dream of a dream. A vision in a see-through, lace, long-sleeved red dress, with blunt dark hair cut to her collarbones, dark red lips quirking in a small smile and a smattering of bracelets, and rings adorning her hands, is Janis Sarkisian. 

Regina’s frozen as she stares. She didn’t expect Janis to be coming to the reunion, and while she’s kept track of her enough to know that she’s moving up in the art world, it’s not like she’s seen a picture of the girl in a while. And what with her big eyes rimmed dark, and the expanse of skin left bare Regina is having trouble processing what she’s seeing. 

What she does know is, Janis’ confidence has tripled. The whole room is staring at her and yet she stands, tall and strong and beautiful. Absently, Regina thinks that while people expected that if the blonde came she’d strut in and flaunt it, no one expected Janis to show up let alone be by far the most gorgeous person in the room. She notices, however, that there is a touch of nervousness around the dark-haired girl's eyes and in her twitching fingers. Janis is still standing at the top of the stairs, everyone is still staring at her. No one has really moved. 

And then Damian Hubbard, in a gorgeous navy suit with a beautifully patterned white and blue shirt and a deep wine-colored tie, with a strapping young man in maroon on his arm, walks up to join her. He’s smiling huge, cheek to cheek, and he grabs her arm and leads her down the steps. The three of them descend but Regina can only look at Janis.

As soon as Janis takes a step, the room bursts back into life. Most of the crowd grabs at their friends and closes into tight circles to discuss what they’ve seen. But Cady squeals and runs to give Janis and Damian hugs, and leads them back to Aaron and Karen and Gretchen. Shane and Regina are on the outskirts of that circle of people, and Shane moves to join them, but Regina is still frozen, still staring at Janis. So unaware of herself that she can’t even will herself to move. 

It could be minutes or it could be hours, but she watches as Damian makes eye contact with her, leans into Janis’ ear and whispers something. His smirk scares Regina. Janis’ eyes, for the first time, lock with Regina’s. They’re probably 15 feet from each other, but it’s like the entire world has disappeared save for Janis Sarkisian and her red-painted lips. She grins, open and warm and like being doused with cold water, Regina finally jerks into movement. 

“Janis Sarkisian, what the hell…” Regina grins, a little shakily. A little thrown off.

She’s probably seven steps from Janis, and it takes her three paces to remember that while Janis Sarkisian is the surprise knockout of the evening, Regina still has all her charms and beauty and the added softness has done nothing but enhance it. So she allows her face to warm and soften and tries to float more than stalk over to her. She sees Janis’ eyes widen, just a bit, as she approaches. Regina gives Damian a hug first, eyes never leaving Janis’, gets a bit distracted as she’s introduced to his husband, Mark, and then she falters for a moment. Janis rolls her eyes and pulls her into a hug and it’s the first thing that Regina has seen all evening that reminds her that she’s known Janis Sarkisian since they were both 8, and despite the stunning beauty of the girl before her, she’s still Janis. 

When she pulls back, however, a part of her heart shatters when she sees the sudden hesitation on Janis’ face. 

“Regina.”

Regina, for her part, is all big eyes and a wide smile. “Janis, how are you?”

“I’m doing well.” She looks down, Regina tries not to chuckle. 

“I know, I’ve heard. It’s all pretty impressive. Art galleries and museum bookings.”

Janis’ head shoots back up as she locks eyes with Regina again. She pauses. “Not as impressive as you…”

Regina is honest and enigmatic as she waves the compliment off. “The amount of Instagram followers one has is not directly correlated with the amount of success they’ve gained.” She smirks. “I’ve worked hard, and come far, but so have you.”

Janis feels like she’s got cotton in her ears… or maybe like someone dunked her head under water. She stares at Regina and Regina’s smile is soft with just a touch of humor around the edges, just a bit of bite in her eyes. Damian saves Janis for a moment as he snatches Regina’s hand and demands she tell him everything about the one time she assisted Tom Ford. 

Janis Sarkisian is 28 years old and has been thriving since she left college. Regina George was right, it’s been full of art galleries and museum bookings and interviews and music videos she paints backdrops for and collaborations with more famous artists of every medium. She’s been thrown into the deep end of the whole thing, and she hasn’t just trodden water, she’s perfected a beautiful breaststroke. 

She lives in a small apartment in Brooklyn and she loves her life. She’s successful and wildly happy. She is incredibly proud of how far she’s come, so of course, she RSVPed yes to this High School Reunion, had Damian help her pick out something stellar to wear, and got ready to stunt on all those imbeciles who’d keyed her locker, or never noticed her. She’s elated to say it worked. 

But now she’s a little frazzled. She guesses that part of her knew there was a chance she’d see Regina George tonight. A good chance, if she’s behind honest, because she knows that Regina loves an entrance and loves an opportunity to be gawked at, even now. But she expected to come in, maybe shock her, maybe exchange some tense words, maybe even some biting words. She had all her guns locked and loaded and ready to battle Regina George. But the girl with the dark blonde hair in loose waves, in that flowing dress, with the warmest smile and just a hint of danger in her eyes. Well, Janis wasn’t ready for that at all. She doesn’t know how to interact with this new Regina, but she finds herself transfixed by her. 

After her necessary mingling, she heads straight to the bar. 

Damian follows her. 

“Can you believe Caddy’s pregnant? That baby is going to be precious and also such a big nerd.”

Janis chuckles, taking her drink from the bartender. “That little dude is gonna be the wildest kid, aren’t they.”

Damian nods and chuckles. “And Karen and Gretchen...”

It’s then that Janis notices how intently Damian is looking at her. She’s known him so long that she knows that, while he’s happy for the two of them, this isn’t what he actually wants to be talking about. She can hear it in his lilting tone and can see it in his eye. “… yeah. I mean we both saw that coming, but they’re really cute.”

“Mmmhmmm” Damian takes a sip of his drink and his eyes sparkle at her over the top of his glass. “And how ‘bout Miss. George?”

Janis’ hackles rise. “What about her?”

Damian looks over his shoulder at where Karen and Gretchen have dragged Regina on to the dance-floor. They’re all a bit tipsy. “She’s something else… isn’t she.”

Janis rolls her eyes. “Your gay is showing.”

Damian looks her dead in the eye, “So is yours” and walks away. 

Janis chuckles, Damian’s always been a jokester and follows him to talk to some people on the edge of the dance floor. People stare at her. People come up. Some are nice. Others are rude. Most are passive aggressive and bitchy. Janis greets them all with pointy teeth and bright eyes. One guy, who she barely remembers from high school, comes up to her and hits on her. Janis raises her eyebrows at him until he leaves. It’s relatively uneventful until Jenna Coleman comes up to her. 

Jenna, who’s got really long red hair, and is settling firmly into her status as a soccer mom, has a megawatt smile and a ferocious glint in her eye. Janis is relatively alone. It’s just her and Aaron and Shane, who are catching up near her. Damian and Mark on the dance floor with Karen and Gretchen. Cady and Regina out of her line of sight. Jenna dives in quickly. 

“Janis Sarkisian. Never would have expected you to show your face tonight.”

Janis’ tenses instantly. 

“But of course, it’s become a much prettier face over the years. And all that art therapy… seems to have worked out in some way.”

Janis doesn’t respond, wills a glare to her expression and tries to take the highest road she can. 

“Guess it couldn’t cure the dyke in you though.”

Before Janis can open her mouth, Regina George has slid into place beside and slightly in front of her. It’s subtle, but she’s definitely put herself between Jenna and Janis. 

“Jenna, why don’t you get back to your husband in the corner. He looks a little lost without his keeper.” Jenna recoils and something dangerous flashes in her eye. But Regina takes a step forward. 

“And if I ever happen to hear you use that word again, I’ll be sure to let you know firsthand, how miserable it is to be on my bad side.” Jenna looks a little fearful but isn’t backing down. Regina, however, takes a step backward and plasters on a saccharine smile laced with poison. “And honey, take it from a fashion designer, green is not a good color on you.” Jenna looks down at her purple dress and it takes her a moment to realize what Regina’s meant. She snarls. 

“I always knew there was something queer about you Regina, didn’t realize I had it so on the nose. But you’re such a good little guard dog aren’t you.”

No one but Janis would see the tension arrive in Regina’s spine, but it does. She takes a small step closer to Jenna, flips her hair over one shoulder and in a second HBIC Queen-bee 17-year-old Regina is back. It’s honestly terrifying. 

She leans in close to Jenna and whispers something in her ear. Jenna pales then colors and steps back, faltering. “That’s what I thought. Bye now.”

Regina turns to Janis and in the second that takes, she’s transformed back into 28-year-old, soft Regina. 

“Jenna’s a bitch. I’m really sorry about that.”

Janis is uncomfortable but fights not to show it. Lifts her chin a bit. 

“It’s fine.”

Regina looks down for a second and then locks eyes with Janis. “And I’m sorry that it’s because of me that she feels comfortable saying that.”

Janis smiles a little. “Regina, I forgave you a long time ago.”

Regina’s eyes are sad when she responds. “And I’m grateful, but I’m still not sure I deserve it.”

Janis gestures to the bar and the two of them grab drinks and lean against one of the high-top tables in the back part of the hall. 

Janis is finally starting to tense a little under all the stares. Her big warm smile that she’s always had, is getting more forced, and she’s alternating crossing her arms over her stomach and picking at her hemline. 

Regina grabs her hand and holds it in place, leaning forward to be heard over the music:

“Stop fussing, you look amazing as is.”

Regina leans back and releases Janis’ hand. Janis just looks at her, really hard. 

They talk for a while, the rest of the gang joins them and then comes Jenna Coleman. Janis tenses, Regina snarls, and the rest of the gang looks confused. Jenna walks up flanked by Marissa and Kelly, her two best friends from high school. Regina blanches at the courage and foolhardiness of this woman. 

“Regina, Melissa was just telling me a bit about your charity and I was wondering just how you could exploit children for a publicity stunt.” Regina feels every single person in her little circle tense and spins towards Jenna. She can see Damian, Gretchen, and Janis all open their mouths and she holds one hand out calmly. 

“Melissa,” she says regarding the blonde, “I’d be happy to discuss with you the details of my organization at another time, as for now, I’m trying to enjoy a nice evening with my friends.” Melissa, always a follower and obviously not pleased to have been dragged along, just nods quickly. Jenna laughs, high-pitched and humorlessly. 

“Something funny, Jenna?” Regina’s voice is tight now. 

“Oh I just think it’s funny you think you have friends here.”

“She does.” It’s Cady who responds. She looks utterly baffled at the entire exchange, but she’s never one to not speak up for the truth. 

Jenna just raises her eyebrows. “Bought, I’m sure, just like all those publicity stunts you’re famous for.”

Regina is mad now. Truly angry and Janis, standing next to her, can see as the blonde takes two deep breaths before she turns on Jenna. 

“Jenna. When I was on the subway to work one day, I sat next to a 14-year-old kid; her name was Clara. She was from the inner city and she didn’t have many prospects, that was written across her face, but she had a piece of paper and a pencil and a gorgeous drawing of a beautiful dress and I stopped her and asked her what she wanted to do when she grew up. She told me she wanted to design clothes, but that she’d probably end up working at the laundromat her aunt owned. I looked that girl in the eye. Skinny, underfed, a little grubby, but with such passion in her eyes and I gave her my card and called every connection I had made in New York.” The entire circle has their eyes on Regina now and Janis notes just how impassioned this speech is. 

“Six months later the Teneu George Project was founded. In the last three years we have helped 27 young artists make a name for themselves in fashion, networked them with professionals, put on charity fashion shows where they get to debut their work, given work to young underprivileged girls who want to be models, networked with student photographers, artists, spoken out against sweatshops, animal testing, and animal products. Raised over three million dollars, and changed the lives of countless children and their mentors. I’ve made many mistakes in my life and done many things selfishly. But I’m not going to stand here and have you insult the best thing I’ve done for the world.”

Regina’s eyes are shining. Jenna is merciless. “That’s a good speech Regina, who wrote it for you?”

Regina rolls her eyes. She knows a lost battle. “Jenna, your act is tired and you’re thirsty for attention. I grow bored of entertaining this little charade. I’d like to be left alone.”

Jenna. “Oh Regina George, royalty. Too good for all of us low-lives here?”

Regina stares at her for a long moment. “I hope you one day get to realize what I did, all those years ago. You have a daughter right?” Jenna looks surprised “What example are you setting for her?”

Jenna explodes. “A better one than you lot. A bunch of gays and psychos. At least I’m normal.” The group erupts but Regina steps in front of them all as Jenna turns to walk away. Over the mumbled and shouted responses from the rest of the group Regina’s voice rings clear. “I hope you learn how to heal one day Jenna, cause your insults are basic and your insecurities aren’t flattering, but your self-hatred is doing you the least favors.” 

Regina turns back around, deflated. “I’m really sorry about that you guys.”

“You’re sorry? I could beat her ass.” Damian says, clenching his tie in one hand. Mark takes his hand, unfurls it from his tie, and smooths it out. 

“I think perhaps it’s time to go?” Gretchen offers. 

“No. We’re not letting her ruin this night, come on,” Janis demands, a fire in her eye. 

Regina nods, slowly. "Yeah, let's show her how awesome us gays and psychos can be." And when Janis stares right in her eye, Regina raises one eyebrow and - wow Janis will have to unpack that later. 

For now, she grabs Damian and Karen and leads them to the dance floor. Everyone follows. Aaron stick back and putting a hand on Regina’s shoulder. Shane is a few steps in front of them. The two men don’t say anything to her but their faces are soft and their smiles are tight. Regina smiles wanly at them to let them know that she’s ok. 

Janis whirls around and meets her at the edge of the dance floor. 

“What did you say to her? I would never have thought she’d come back.”

Regina’s smile fades. “I told her that her affair with Mike Michaels was getting really obvious, but not as obvious as Mike’s affair with her husband.” She laughs humorlessly “Which Jenna already knows about, but tries valiantly to hide.”

Janis gapes at her. “It’s not a secret, though it was a low card to deal and I am regretful. Always learning.” Janis’ expression shifts, but Regina’s not sure into what.

“What?”

“You’re so different.”

“So are you.”

“Not in the same way.”

Regina just smiles and joins Karen and Gretchen. 

They dance for a while, let it all loose on the dance floor and then they decide that it’s time to call it a night. They make plans to get brunch all of them in the morning. Shane excited for everyone to meet his wife and daughter. Cady and Aaron regretful that they have to fly back to Africa.

•••

Brunch is a full affair. There’s 15 of them once the mathletes and the significant others of two of them show up. It’s loud and crowded and in a kind of dinky little restaurant and Regina is in tight jeans and a tank top (silk though) and she’s grinning and Janis feels like the rug has been pulled out from under her. 

Janis sits across and one over from Regina and she finds herself staring. Not nearly as much as Regina stares at her. It’s interesting, sitting at this table of adults that she knew as kids, and seeing how much they’ve all grown, mellowed, matured. She still guesses that she and Regina have changed the most. She comforts herself with a mantra that that’s all the staring is. A curious acknowledgment of how much Regina has changed. 

When they all go to leave, the end of their blast from the past, Regina gives Damian and Mark big bear hugs, promises to keep in better contact, tells Karen and Gretchen she’ll visit as soon as she gets some time off, and squats down to say goodbye to Shane’s little girl. 

When she stands back up she walks to Janis. 

“So... I’m gonna give you my number. It might come in handy someday.” She winks and hands Janis a pristine business card with another phone number written on the bottom in perfect, loopy penmanship. Regina grins at her, bright but with that edge to it, one last time before she’s gone with a swing of her hair and a chime of the bell above the door. 

It’s three weeks before Janis caves

•••

She’s sitting in her studio in Brooklyn, drinking iced tea and staring at this new painting. She’d started it soon after she got back from the Reunion and it’s coming along nicely. The reunion was… a lot of things, but mostly she’s just filled with a rejuvenated connection to her old friends. She calls Cady much more than she has in the past few years and stays updated on her and Aaron’s adventures. She texts Karen and Kevin and Shane. Shane sends her a snapchat of his daughter almost every day, and she and Holly are becoming good friends. 

But she stares at her phone on her stool on a Thursday in Brooklyn and she glances towards her inspiration cork board and sees the small, cream-colored business card and rolls her eyes at herself before she walks over, punches the number into her phone, breathes, and presses send. 

Regina is sitting in her own studio, in Manhattan, sipping iced coffee and looking over a new design when her phone buzzes. It’s a number that’s not saved in her phone, but it’s an area code that she recognizes, so she grins and grabs at her phone. 

(847) 555 7274: How are you settling back into New York after all that being home stuff?

She responds immediately. 

Regina: Hi Janis. I was wondering when you were going to use that card. I’m settling in well if a little backlogged at work. You?

Regina: Actually, scratch that, why don’t you tell me how you’re settling in over coffee. When are you free this weekend?

Janis looks at the message on her phone and her right foot starts jumping. It’s been eons since her and Regina interacted alone, and New York has been her safe space from it all for so long. But she looks down at the text, and at the business card (worn at the edges from how many times she’s held it) and thinks about the fact that she’s been thinking about Regina almost every day since she got home and steels her nerves to respond. By the time she looks down, there’s another message. 

Regina: I’d love to actually catch up, seeing as all that got a little pushed to the side amidst the most dramatic high school reunion ever.

Janis: I’m free on Saturday afternoon. 

Janis: Also I’m sure there have been plenty more dramatic high school reunions. 

Regina: Spectacular! How’s 3?

Regina: And you’re probably right. 

Janis: 3 sounds dope. 

Regina: Will I be able to drag you to the coffee place I love in midtown, or are you a Brooklyn coffee elitist now?

Janis: I suppose I could slum it in midtown. 

Regina: Next time we’ll go to one of your hipster places. 

Janis tries not to focus on how her heart rate picks up when she reads “next time”. 

•••  
Instead, she goes over to Damian’s house and freaks out. Damian and Mark live in the Upper East Side because Mark is, one a trust-fund kid, and two, a great lawyer. So she grabs nice takeout and knocks on their door that evening. Mark answers. He grins at her. 

“Honey,” he calls over his shoulder, “your mistress is here.”

Janis laughs and smiles at Mark as he lets her in and grabs some of the food from her. He follows her into the kitchen where Damian is sitting at the coffee table drinking tea. 

“Darling, it’s been so long.” 

“Yeah, a whole day and a half. How did you survive?” 

“Oh, hush. Did you bring the good stuff?”

“Of course I did.”

The three of them set up dinner and get to eating, and they’re almost done when Janis goes quiet. Damian and Mark exchange a look. 

“So honey, what brings you over here?” 

Janis looks at Damian and his face softens. 

“My brain is super confusing right now.”

“Ok, I’m gonna need a little bit more than that.”

“Ever since the reunion well… everything’s changed.” Janis stares down at her hands in her lap for a second and when she looks back up, Damian’s smiling softly at her. 

“What?”

“I was just wondering how long it was going to take for you to realize what was going on, and want to talk about it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, this is about Regina, is it not?”

Janis’ mouth hangs open. 

“Oh come on, that girl has always been a fashion icon and a gorgeous specimen, but now she’s all soft and warm and ‘let me save you from Jenna Coleman’”

“And still super hot!” Chimes in Mark, as Damian lays dramatically across his chair, staring at Janis. 

“She asked me to get coffee.”

Damian sits up quickly. “Did you say yes?”

“Yeah.”

“Good.”

“It’s just like. Why do I want to be friends with her?”

Damian spits out the water he just took a sip of. Looks wildly at Mark, whose eyes have gone wide. Mark shakes his head no and Janis looks at them confused. 

“What’s happening?”

“Nothing, honey, keep going,” Mark says softly. Janis has learned over the years that sometimes Mark and Damian are just weird so, while hesitant, she continues. 

“It’s just… I went almost ten years without really thinking about her, and now…”

“Well, honey, both of you have changed a lot. You got past all your drama in senior year, and you’ve healed and moved on, the both of you. Regina’s not necessarily a new person, but she is different, and if this new Regina is someone you think you want to get to know…”

“Yeah, but how do I learn to trust her again?”

“Well, that’s up to her,” Mark says, pensively. “Trust is earned.”

“And I think she’s going to earn it,” Damian says. 

There’s a long pause. 

“You guys remember when Jenna made that comment about gays and psychos?”

“Don’t remind me,” Damian responds through clenched teeth. 

“But then do you remember how Regina said something about showing Jenna how ‘us gays and psychos party’ or whatever?”

“Mhmm.”

“Which category do you think she was putting herself into?”

Mark and Damian share a long look. 

“Maybe you should ask her.” Mark says at the same exact time that Damian cackles “Both.”

They watch rom coms until Janis falls asleep. 

•••

Janis gets up on Saturday and stretches in the sunlight. It’s warm but not hot and she’s enjoying lounging in her bed until she remembers what today is. 

She gets up, throws on clothes, and goes to the art store. She has an order that came in and she needs to get it so she can keep working on her newest commission. She picks up a smoothie and a breakfast sandwich and gets back to her apartment. 

When she’s fresh out of the shower and standing in front of her closet she realizes she hasn’t cared this much about what she’s wearing on a Saturday since the last time she went on a date. She rolls her eyes, tired of ever dressing up for Regina and grabs a white graphic t-shirt with a bicycle on it and grabs her favorite pair of pants. They’re dress pants and they hit right above her ankle. And they’re bright red and high-waisted. She throws on her paint-splattered converse and grabs her wallet. 

It’s a bit of a trek to the coffee shop in Midtown so she throws on some headphones, puts on her Alanis Morissette playlist and hops on the subway. 

Regina’s already in the coffee shop, standing waiting for her order. Her hair is in loose waves and she’s wearing a thin, low cut, red shirt with thin straps, white tennis shoes and black joggers (if you could call pants that look that nice "joggers") and she’s got sunglasses on her head and only a little makeup. She looks carefree. Janis finds herself smiling, and also a little nervous. She wills herself to remain calm and walks up to the counter, and just as she goes to grab her wallet, a tan hand with perfect white nails sticks a crisp twenty dollar bill into the cashier’s hand. Before Janis can do much more than turn and start to protest she’s blinded by Regina’s grin which is almost a smirk. 

“Hey, stranger. I thought since I made you come all the way here, I’d at least pay.” 

Janis just rolls her eyes and follows Regina to a table by the floor to ceiling windows. 

They sit down and Regina’s still smiling, a shimmer of something sharp in her eyes. That light used to mean danger, and Janis isn’t sure what it means now, so she looks down and then she sees her paint-splattered shoes and grins back up at Regina. 

“Can’t believe you’d be seen here with me.”

Regina looks at her funny. 

“You know, a fancy coffee shop in Midtown.” 

Regina finally seems to get that Janis is teasing her and she rolls her eyes and chuckles. 

“Oh please. I’m not that terrible anymore. Plus,” she says smirking at Janis across the small table and picking up her coffee, “you look nice the way you are. No changes needed.” She takes a sip of coffee (which must be boiling still) and maintains eye contact with Janis, who colors and rolls her eyes.   
The pause is just about to get awkward when Janis’ name and order go ringing through the coffee shop. Janis isn’t even halfway out of her chair when Regina, fully standing, chuckles. “No worries, I’ll get it.”

So Janis sits back down slowly and takes a look around the coffee shop while she waits for Regina to come back. It’s cute, warm and bright. A little too modern and clean for Janis’ personal taste, but definitely not somewhere she’d never come back to.

Regina places her coffee down in front of her and Janis blows on it and looks back up at Regina, who’s staring at her. 

“So… tell me about your art…”

Once Janis starts talking about her passion, she settles in and relaxes. They spend the next hour just trading stories and catching up. Janis is seriously impressed with Regina’s work-ethic and Regina seems legitimately ecstatic for Janis’ rising success. Janis relents to the coffee actually being pretty good and she honestly regrets it immediately when she sees Regina’s self-satisfied smirk. 

“So, while I totally wanted to, and enjoyed, catching up, I had ulterior motives for bringing you here today.”

Janis tenses up immediately and while Regina looks like she’s about to chuckle, something in her softens and she just smiles warmly at Janis. 

“No need to be worried. It’s actually about my charity…”

Janis relaxes. 

“See, we’re trying to branch out, get more people involved, expand it past fashion design and into other art fields, and I was wondering… well,” Regina seems nervous and it baffles Janis into leaning forward and hanging on her every word, “well, Clara, my protegee if you will, well her little brother is super into visual arts and painting, and I was hoping that maybe you’d want to meet him and work with him.”

There’s a short pause before Regina jumps on the back of her own sentence, eyes wide. “And I totally get that you’re a professional with your own job and you might not have time nor the desire to like mentor a high-school student, but Jimmy is an adorable kid who means the world to Clara and me, and when she asked me about finding someone to mentor him, well, you were the first person I thought of.”

Janis just looks at her.   
“Are you sure you want me?”

Regina looks confused. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I don’t know if I fit your polished, preppy, put-together vibe.”

Regina’s brow furrows. 

“I’m just, I’m a little silly and a little weird.”

“And?” Regina says, her honest confusion still strong across her features, “that’s exactly why I want you.”

It takes Janis a hot second to recover from that. 

“I’d love to meet him, and we can go from there with the whole… mentoring thing.” She knows she’s blushing but it’s worth it to see Regina light up in a way that Janis vaguely remembers from when they were kids. It pokes at her heart a bit. She inhales. 

“Tits!”

And then she splutters. 

“Excuse me?”

“Oh… Gretchen never really dropped the whole tits thing.” Janis looks confused so Regina continues. “Don’t you remember? You’re the one who introduced her to that back in senior year.” She giggles and Janis blinks. Hard. “My ex-girlfriend hated it when I said that, but, I think it’s funny.”

Regina just smiles at her and Janis feels like the earth has shifted a few degrees on its axis. 

“Your ex-girlfriend.”

“Yeah some heiress from the Upper West Side. She had a lot of opinions about a lot of things. Started out as a tried and true ‘rebel’ but you know what they say about needing a cause and all.” It’s about half-way through the sentence that Janis regains enough focus to see the devilish smirk Regina’s wearing and the laughter in her eyes. 

Janis just blinks at her some more. Then she nods her head. Then she smiles a little, but the confusion in her eyes is still strong. Regina checks her watch, her eyes widen, and she starts to stand up.

“It was great getting coffee with you, but I have to run back to my office for a meeting. I’ll text you soon to set up a time to meet up with Jimmy.” She collects her belongings, smiles at Janis, and then leans down, putting one hand on the table and one hand on the back of Janis’ chair, and kisses her lightly and quickly on the cheek. She throws a “Toodles” over her shoulder and then she’s out the door. Janis watches her through the window as she puts her sunglasses on, tosses her hair, and struts down the street. 

She really needs to call Damian. 

•••  
Two weeks later and Janis is on the subway again heading to Regina’s studio and offices in Midtown. She’s got music blasting on her headphones and is leaning against the pole of the subway because the seats are all taken. She’s in plaid pants and a white v-neck and she’s got her art bag slung over one shoulder, coffee in one hand and her phone in the other. She has her sunglasses on because she doesn't want anyone to talk to her. 

She exits the subway and starts walking towards the studio and starts wondering about Jimmy, who she’s meeting today. She’s a little nervous that she’s not going to be good at mentoring the kid, or that they aren’t going to get along, or that he won’t actually want to be there. Before her thoughts can get too all-consuming she arrives at the door and walks in. 

She walks up to the receptionist, a gorgeous girl with long brown hair and a big smile and bigger blue eyes. 

“Miss. Sarkisian?”

“Uh… yeah, that’s me.”

“Awesome, I’ll call Regina down, it won’t be too long.”

She picks up the phone on her desk and presses a few buttons and Janis looks around a little. The lobby is all white with black and pink accents. There’s a big decal of Regina’s brand logo on one wall and the logo of the charity on the other wall, and right behind the receptionist is a huge neon sign that’s definitely Regina’s signature. She’s staring at the swooping letters when she hears Regina approach. She doesn’t think she’ll ever not be able to tell when Regina’s approaching, the specific tempo of her strut in high heels ingrained in Janis’ memory. 

She turns towards Regina and takes in the blonde in a figure-hugging, light blue dress and incredibly tall white stilettos with red soles, which Janis recognizes. Regina’s hair is curled a little more than usual, and her makeup is soft and her smile is big as she walks towards Janis. Janis adjusts her art bag on her shoulder so that she can accept Regina’s offered hug, and Regina kisses her on the cheek and then grabs onto Janis’ elbows and squeals a little. 

“Oh, I’m just so glad you’re here.” She starts leading them towards the elevators. “I showed Jimmy some of your work, and he thinks you’re pretty cool. He’s very excited.” She presses the button for 6 and smiles at Janis. “He and Clara are up in my office, where I thought you could meet him, and then if you guys want to go over his portfolio or your work, I cleared a space in my studio for you.”

Janis finally starts to relax, as the elevator climbs, because Regina is so warm and happy and excited. She readjusts her bag again. “Thank you. I’m--I’m very excited to meet him.”

Regina beams at her and Janis melts a bit. The elevator dings, and the doors open, and Regina leads the way towards a gorgeous minimalist office with 3 of the 4 walls made of glass. There are a few other workspaces scattered around the floor, and Janis assumes it’s for people who work with and for Regina. The one wall in Regina’s office that isn’t made of glass, has two huge drawings framed. The one on the right is a stunning dark blue silk dress with a long train. The one on the left is a dark green gown with a pattern like vines creeping up it. They are both gorgeous drawings - and gorgeous drawings, and Janis can’t pull her eyes off them. 

“The first thing I ever designed for the Met Gala,” Regina gestures at the blue dress, “and the first dress I designed worn at a major fashion show,” she points at the green. 

“They’re amazing.”

“Thank you.”

Regina opens the glass door to her office and gestures Janis in. As soon as the door closes behind her she realizes that she hasn’t even looked at the two people in Regina’s office. 

The girl is tall, lithe, and well-dressed. She’s wearing wide-leg navy pinstripe pants, white platform heels, and a mustard yellow sleeveless crop top. Her tightly-coiled hair is in two small buns on the top of her head. She has a huge grin on her face. She stands and faces Janis. 

The boy is a little scrawny, and a little less-well dressed, but he has big bright eyes, and his white converse are scuffed. He’s wearing a dark red t-shirt with some logo Janis can’t make out on it and an old jean jacket with black joggers. He’s got a denim baseball cap on backward over his messy hair. He leans against the back of one of the chair and his smile looks like it might crack his face in half. 

Janis is nervous, but now she’s also excited. 

“Clara, Jimmy, this is Janis Sarkisian. An old friend and a great artist.”

Janis tries really hard not to roll her eyes and instead sticks her hand out towards Clara, who’s closer, and then Jimmy. 

“It’s lovely to meet you, Miss. Sarkisian. Regina’s told us a lot about you.”

Janis looks at Regina for a second and then back to Clara. “Oh, Janis is fine. She’s told me a lot about you as well. Seems to be a big fan.” She winks at Clara who chuckles warmly. 

“It’s so cool to meet you, ma’am, I’m seriously just so excited to be able to talk to someone who’s a successful artist.” Janis chuckles and readjusts her bag again. 

“Hell yeah! Regina seems to think you have a lot of potential.” Her greeting makes the boy chuckle and Janis counts that as a win.

She smiles softly as she watches Jimmy grin brightly at Regina who nods at him enthusiastically.

•••

The four of them end up joking around, lounging in Regina’s office for a while. Talking and getting to know each other. Clara is 18 and Jimmy’s 15 (he’ll be 16 in two months he makes sure to tell Janis) and they’re charming children. They live with their single mom and four younger siblings in a not-so-great part of the city. Before Regina started working with Regina, she was about to be expelled from school, completely without direction and unmotivated. Clara can’t express to Janis how much Regina’s influence has helped her and her entire family. 

Jimmy is energetic and happy and a little shy. His personality matches his scrawny frame well, but Janis makes a point of deciding for every time they’ll meet from now on she’s going to bring some food. Then she realizes she’s already agreed in her head to mentor this kid without even seeing any of his work 

As if Regina has read her mind she suggests they go down to the fourth floor where the drafting and drawing studio is. Apparently, the sewing takes place on the fifth floor and the third floor is for trying on clothes while the second floor is where they have photoshoots. Janis shouldn’t be surprised but she is a little. Her apartment and her studio are all one-in-the-same, one big old warehouse with some screens up around her bed, and a small bathroom she added in one corner. Regina lives on the tenth floor of this building. Floors 7-9 being apartments. Janis hasn’t seen her apartment, but she assumes hers will pale in comparison to the blondes. She’s happy with where she lives and how she lives though, so she just tries to soak in the pristine grandeur of Regina’s building. 

They take the elevator down to the fourth floor and when they exit, Janis blinks a few times. There’s one table and corner of the room that is vacant, but the rest of the room is filled with drawings and fabric squares and photos and so many corkboards, white drafting tables, white work tables, and glass whiteboards set up in little stations that Janis wonders how many people work there. There are three artists working in the studio, and Regina greets them all and introduces Janis to them. Ted is finishing a drawing of a gorgeous plaid pantsuit. Morgan is coloring and shading a drawing with Regina’s signature on the bottom, of a midnight blue gown. Asha is pinning drawings, swatches, and notes together into packages and putting them in manilla folders. Regina explains that they’ll be taken to the fifth floor so production can begin. 

Janis just kind-of gapes at all the drawings. Regina is incredibly talented, and that doesn’t really surprise Janis in theory, but all the beautiful works of art she sees have her surprised in a bit of a different way. It’s not until she sees Regina smirking devilishly and hears Jimmy and Clara giggling at her that she realizes that she’s just been staring around the room in awe. She rolls her eye and shoves lightly at Regina’s shoulder. Regina’s eyes flash and ice runs down Janis’ spine until she realizes that what flashed through those blue eyes was mirth, not malice. She adjusts her art bag and leads Jimmy over to the corner cleared for them. 

She starts by looking at some of his work. He has a great imagination, a decent eye for composition, and good color theory, but his technique is unrefined, and he often explains that he imagined the painting a little different than it appears on the canvas. Janis can relate to the struggle to actualize the crazy things in your mind. She sees an incredible amount of potential in him, and just through their conversation she feels rejuvenated and more excited about painting than she has in a while. Not that the fire was dying, but now it is blazing. 

After they’ve looked at his stuff, she pulls out her portfolio and starts showing him some of her own work, explaining composition details and decisions and using a small sketchbook she brought to explain the order in which she paints. They have slightly different processes. Janis mixes on her palette and paints in sections. Jimmy paints in thin layers and mixes his colors right on the canvas. Janis is excited to learn from each other. 

They’re in the middle of discussing a painting from Janis’ portfolio of a close-up portrait of a woman, made of circles and squares, and Janis doesn’t even notice that Clara and Regina have walked over. Regina is standing over her shoulder staring down at the painting while Janis passionately explains the painting and how she went about creating it. Jimmy seems to be soaking in all the information like a sponge. Janis takes a small pause and hears Regina exhale behind her. It doesn’t cause her to start, but she does look up quickly. Regina is staring at the painting in what can only be described as awe. 

“It’s beautiful.”

“It’s even nicer in person, and it’s kind of huge too.”

“Did you sell it?”

“No, it’s just sitting in my studio.”

“Are you trying to sell it?”

“Well, I haven’t had a gallery in a bit, because I’m finishing up a new collection, but yeah, I have way too much of my art in my apartment.” Janis chuckles. 

Regina is still staring at the painting and Janis realizes why she’s asking. Janis colors and turns back to Jimmy, trying very hard to get the image of Regina’s awe-struck face out of her head. She fails. 

•••

Every Sunday at 2 pm she meets with Jimmy. Often it’s at Regina’s studio, but sometimes he comes to Janis’ while Clara and Regina work in Midtown. Jimmy loves her studio and when Damian and Mark and Janis are shopping at a little furniture store in the Bronx for something for the boys’ house Janis finds herself buying a cute little stool just for Jimmy. He grins at her when she shows him. 

She sees Regina quite a bit, and Regina always just looks at her with the warmest smile and thanks Janis for helping Jimmy probably three times a Sunday. 

It starts on a random Friday when Regina texts Janis that she’s hungry and in the Brooklyn area after a meeting, and would Janis like to get dinner and then suddenly every Friday they get dinner, just the two of them. Regina’s had to cancel once and they did it on a Thursday. Janis tries not to think too hard about the date Regina had that night, which apparently went only mediocrely. The girl was too moody and cynical, apparently. 

Once, when Regina is exhausted after a week full of fashion show preparation, they have fancy dinner delivered to Regina’s beautiful apartment, and they eat there. Regina, though exhausted, lounges on her outdoor patio on the roof of the building, draped in a light pink faux fur blanket, with a black silk shirt and skin-tight white jeans and fuzzy grey socks, and she looks majestic in the dim lighting and Janis feels something stir in her chest. She tries not to feel awkward in her ripped black jeans and white band sleeveless tank. She tries not to feel lesser as she slouches while Regina reclines. It must show in her tension though, because Regina throws a pillow at her and tells her to relax, that she’s fine. (Janis tries hardest to ignore the way Regina’s eyes twinkle in the starlight mischievously as the blonde looks at her) 

It’s one of those Fridays, probably three months after the reunion, that Regina and Janis stay out far too late and get a little too drunk. They’ve melted into an almost easy friendship. It’s like all the parts of when they were kids, with all the added knowledge and experience they’ve gained. They still argue, they still disagree on some fundamental parts of life, but they no longer bark down each other’s ideas. All the fears of the past have waned, and though Janis expects Regina to ask her to change, she keeps on doing the opposite. They still fight sometimes and Regina often says offhand comments that cut Janis too deep, and Janis often snarks a little too hard and causes Regina’s walls to shoot up. But that night, they’re happy and carefree. 

They’re at this bar near Janis’ apartment, both tipsy, leaning on each other as they stumble to Janis’. 

“I guess I gotta call a cab.” Regina says, looking a little dazed. 

Janis doesn’t respond, not really, she makes a weird noise, rolls her eyes, and grabs Regina by the wrist and pulls her inside her building and into the elevator. 

The elevator proves to be too much for Janis because she falls into the wall and drags a giggling Regina with her. The two of them erupt into laughter and Janis says pressed between Regina and the wall for the whole ride up to her apartment. 

It’s the first time Regina’s seen her apartment, and even though she’s drunk, she takes it in hungrily. There are paintings all around. 75% of the warehouse apartment is the studio. Concrete floors and paint tarps and easels and a slop sink in the corner. There are dozens of paintings, some complete, some just a few strokes, scattered about the room and, with Janis pulling on her arm impatiently, Regina tries to take them all in. 

The other 25% of the room is Janis’ modest living quarters. A small but nice kitchen, a door which must lead to the bathroom, a table and two chairs, and a king-sized bed right next to the windows, low to the ground. It’s got a dark grey comforter with an intricate pattern on it. Regina expected nothing less. Suspended above the bed from the ceiling is a black metal grid with a bunch of plants on it. 

Janis rips off her shoes, and ducks behind one of the many dividers set up to change. She throws a large bro tank and a pair of shorts at Regina who chuckles and almost falls over as she attempts to catch it. 

When Janis steps around the corner in her own sleep shorts and worn but well-fitting sleep shirt, she has to blink a few times at the sight of Regina in a pair of her shorts, rolled up a few times, and a bro tank from Janis’ college, and all that skin that’s exposed. Janis goes and gets them two glasses of water and puts one on each side of the bed. 

As soon as Janis gets close enough to the bed, Regina grabs her around the neck and plops them both down on the bed. Janis grumbles and insists on sleeping on the left side of the bed, so Regina grabs her around the waist and rolls them over. When they land where Janis wants, she doesn’t let go and Janis, drunk and sleepy and warm, doesn’t fight her. 

“I’m not sleepy,” Regina says… sleepily. 

Janis chuckles. “You sure about that?”

Regina nuzzles her head further into Janis’ neck and nods against her. Janis laughs through it and reaches over blindly to find the remote to the TV that is mounted against the opposite wall. She flips it on and Regina peeks an eye open. 

ABC is playing some old romcom from the early 2000s. Amanda Seyfried is up on the screen and she’s laying in the grass with some blonde boy. Regina softens and hears a sigh. She looks over at Janis and see’s the dark-haired girl smiling widely at the tv. 

“Waiiiiiit. Do you like this movie?”

Janis flushes. “I have a love/hate relationship with romantic comedies.”

“Oh do you?” Regina teases and snuggles in closer. 

They fall asleep that way. 

•••

When Regina wakes up in the morning, she wakes up to light streaming in. She can tell immediately that she’s not in her apartment, but she’s warm and comfy and she stretches and is surprised when her limbs run into no resistance, clearly remembering falling asleep with Janis. She sits up, her hair all sticking up on the side she slept on, mostly barefaced with smudged eyeliner. She peeks over the edge of the bed and sees Janis, sitting in overalls and a striped crop top and fluffy white socks, a paintbrush behind one ear, sitting with one leg dangling on her stool, staring at a canvas. Janis has paint flecked on her arms and a stripe of red across her cheek and the warm sunlight streams in on Regina and lights up the room and Janis and Regina feels happier than she has in a long time. 

And then she gets it, in one peaceful moment, like a soft wave flowing over you in the shallows. She doesn’t feel scared as she watches Janis worry at her bottom lip as she regards the painting. She doesn’t feel scared as her heart rate picks up and her mind clears of sleepy fog and still, all she can see is Janis. She doesn’t feel scared as Janis turns towards her, bare-faced and radiant, and smiles cheekily at her. She doesn’t feel scared when Janis starts chuckling and makes fun of her freshly awakened appearance. Instead, she feels warm and content and like she could get used to waking up in a warm bed in Brooklyn to Janis painting. And then, as soon as she thinks that, she feels scared. But in the best way possible. 

•••

Regina’s mom and Ross fly in a week before the event to help Regina and also to visit. It’s a hectic time, but Ross is so happy to be there, and Sabrina is incredibly supportive and Regina feels loved. 

At dinner, on Tuesday night. Regina is fidgety and Ross and Sabrina exchange a look. Sabrina reaches out across the table and stills Regina’s hands. 

“Honey, do you need to tell us something?”

Regina had come out to her mom three years ago, and her mom had barely batted an eye. They’d had a long talk about what that meant for young Regina and her actions towards Janis and Regina had told her mom she was going to therapy and that that’s how she had finally shed the repression and self-hatred. Regina’s mom has always been proud of her daughter, and while for a few months she went a little overboard trying to prove that to Regina, she’s found the right balance nowadays. 

“Is it a girl?” It’s Ross who says this, with bright shining eyes and a small smile. 

Regina looks at him, a little shocked. 

“Oh honey, that’s the same face I had on when I first realized just how much I loved your mom.”

Part of Regina wants to barf at that, and part of her wants to run for the hills, but a small, quiet, but powerful part of her heart soars at his words. 

“It’s more complicated than that.” She squeezes her mom’s hand and wills her tears to stay at bay. 

She ends up telling them, at length, how she’s come to realize just how in love with Janis she is, and how she never expected Janis to forgive her let alone for them to become friends and she will never again do anything that jeopardizes that. 

That night, when Regina is about to leave and Sabrina is handing the ticket to the valet, Ross comes up to her, squeezes her hand and gives her some advice. 

“Honey, you can’t stop loving Janis. So just… just love her.” There’s a lot more to the simple words than what was said, but Regina looks into his eyes, and she understands perfectly. She tears up and gives him a big hug. “I love you, kiddo.”  
•••

Janis has always been an oblivious person when it comes to this stuff and to say she doesn’t notice that Regina has come to the - only slightly stunning - conclusion that she’s falling for the dark-haired girl, is quite the understatement. 

Janis has been meeting with Jimmy four times a week for the last month in anticipation for the annual Teneu George Project Fundraiser Gala. This year they are not only doing the fashion show and the party after, but they’re hosting the party in an art gallery which will feature Janis and Jimmy’s work. The TGP Gala brings in the wealthy and the famous and gets them drunk and has them buy things to write on their tax forms. But it’s also an amazing opportunity for the 30-some teenage artists that Regina, her brand, and other artists in New York have been mentoring, to show off their talents. 

Janis catches Regina’s hand after the meeting they have where they bring it up. 

“Are you sure that I’m the right person for the job?”

“Well, you’ve been mentoring Jimmy haven’t you?” Regina stands, one leg popped, arms crossed, teasing smirk. 

“Yeah, but like… isn’t this for the Uptown Elite. I’m not quite them and neither is my art, and I’m not going to change either of those things for thi-”

“Janis,” Regina cuts her off, “no one, and I mean no one is asking you to change. Your art is amazing, no matter where it’s shown, and both Jimmy and I need you there. 

Janis nods. 

Jimmy’s work is great, Janis starts to get excited about her own work, Clara and Regina have refused to let Jimmy and Janis see any of their work, so Janis tries to do the same. She does know, from Regina’s PA Timothy, that Regina is debuting one dress at the fashion show. Janis slaves over her work so much that Damian calls her to complain (Mark chastising him in the background) that they never see each other, so she invites the two of them to her studio. They show up three days before the event, and her apartment is mostly bare, all of her work at the gallery already. They giggle and run around the open space before they sit down for dinner. 

It’s probably an hour and a half into their stay when there’s a knock on Janis’ door. Confused, Janis goes to open the door and before she can even open her mouth, Regina whisks past her and into the studio. She’s got five garment bags in her hands. She’s wearing a bright red well-fitting t-shirt and a pair of leather pants that look painted on. She walks in and sets the garment bags down on the coffee table that Janis likes to eat at, sitting on the floor. She bends down and her pants have just barely enough give to allow it. Regina stands back up, sees Mark and Damian, stops, turns around and looks at Janis, who’ still staring at those pants, and lets out a short scream. 

“Janis! Did you forget that we’re trying on dresses for the Gala tonight?”

Janis snaps to attention. “No. I thought we were doing that on Wednesday!”

Over Damian’s laughter and Regina’s scoff, Mark rings out; “Honey, it is Wednesday.”

Janis grunts, low and long. “Nooooo.” She whines. “I totally fucked up.” She looks at Mark and Damian. “You guys, I’m so sorry.”

“Oh honey, this is the best news I’ve gotten all week.” Damian says, looks at Mark and they say in unison; “Fashion show!”

The girls chuckle. 

Janis tries on a long white dress, a sparkly gold cocktail dress, a dark green gown, a stunning purple jumpsuit. And yet, nothing quite feels right. And then Regina pulls out a gorgeous dress from the last garment bag. It’s long and flowing and has a beautiful multicolored pattern. It’s thin silk, and it’s got long sleeves, with a collar. As Janis is putting it on behind a changing divider, she calls Damian back to help her. Regina instructs him on how the dress should lay and when Janis comes out from behind the partition with the dress arranged so that a good five inches of the middle of her torso is open from collarbone to the part where a thick black belt cinches in her waist, and her hair is pulled back hastily and her eyes are bright and her legs look like they go on for miles, and Janis looks like she was made to wear that dress, Regina’s jaw honest-to-god hits the floor. 

“That’s the one.” She says. “It’s totally you.”

She stays for a little longer, and then leaves with the four rejected outfits, kissing all three on the cheek. 

When she leaves Damian turns towards the other two. “So are we gonna talk about that?”

“You mean that ass?” Mark replies, and they high-five. 

Janis throws a pillow at them, but she can’t fall asleep that night. Damian calls her in the morning because he knows. She seems super conflicted. There’s no way in hell, right? She asks. He tells her to take a few deep breaths and stop overthinking it. 

Then the gala comes, and honestly, Janis is fucked. 

•••

Janis gets to the art gallery two hours before the fashion show is about to start. The fashion show, the floor below, is being put together by Regina, Clara, and the TGP team. Jimmy and Janis are alone in the art gallery. Jimmy is in a spectacular navy suit with a tan vest and a burgundy tie. In the last four months, he’s gotten a lot less scrawny, and his suit makes him look so grown up. He can’t stop gushing about how excited he is for his mom and his little siblings to see his and Clara’s work and Janis isn’t ashamed to admit that she tears up. 

An hour before the fashion show is set to start, they head down the stairs. Regina is walking around, a fire in her eyes as she organizes and orders people about. HBIC Regina from high-school thrives in this environment and Janis enjoys watching the kind but forceful way she makes things happen. Everyone is still terrified of her, but in a more respect-driven way than before. 

Regina is still in casual clothes, though her hair and makeup are done. Fifteen minutes before they let people in, she escapes behind the scenes to where the models (all of them students part of the program) are getting ready. And then, right before the doors open her and Clara exit. 

Clara is in a gorgeous navy and mustard-yellow dress. But Regina… Regina walks out in a grey and white gown. The bodice, grey satin and long-sleeved. The skirt long and flowing ombre from grey to an off-white. She’s wearing 6 inch Louboutins and her hair is messy and wavy, her eye makeup intense and her smile soft. It’s not necessarily the most jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring outfit that Janis has ever seen Regina in, but there’s something different about her tonight. Or maybe the difference is in Janis, and she can’t seem to keep her eyes off of the blonde. 

Jimmy elbows Janis when she’s been standing for more than 30 seconds with her mouth slightly open and her face completely blank. She jolts. He doubles over laughing. 

Clara, from the other side of the room, leans in to whisper to Regina. 

“Looks like you’ve caught someone’s attention.”

“Janis? Yes. Yes, it seems I have.”

“But, you haven’t even looked over at her, how do you know.”

“It’s an old skill.” Regina flips her hair over one shoulder and the two of them giggle. 

The next half an hour is spent greeting people who are arriving and schmoozing around. When Clara and Jimmy’s mother Tanya comes in she’s brought the whole family. Janis and Regina go to get introduced to all of them. Ricky is 13 and sullen and shy, he’s got on a cool purple bowtie, and Regina compliments him on it which makes him blush. Then Janis cracks one bad joke and he grins up at her. Mary and Billy are twins. Mary in a little yellow dress and Billy in a yellow button up with little black suspenders. They’re 10 years old and energetic but polite. Then there’s Frankie. She’s 7 and has a bunch of missing teeth. She’s shy and hiding behind her mom. She’s wearing a little light blue dress. 

Sabrina and Ross come in. Ross is in a tan suit and Sabrin in a navy dress. They give Janis hugs and start chatting with Tanya and the twins. Ross gives Regina a pointed look and winks. 

Damian and Mark come in, dressed sharply, a little tipsy, and utterly stoked. Janis introduces them to Jimmy and the three boys immediately get along well. Gretchen and Karen have flown in and they look stunning as they squeal and run up to Regina. Once they’ve caught up, Karen Gretchen, Clara, and Tanya gush about the venue, and about Regina’s dress. Regina looks over from her circle of people to Janis and when Janis feels eyes on her, she looks over and grins back at Regina. 

The family goes to sit in their prime spots in the front row and Clara sits in pride of place for the fashion show, near the end of the row close to the podium so she can speak. Regina sits next to her because she has to make the opening remarks. Janis is pointed to the seat next to her and Jimmy sits on her right. Then the twins, Ricky, and Frankie and Tanya. Ross, Sabrina, Damian, Mark, Gretchen, and Karen sit right behind Clara, Regina, Janis, and Jimmy. Before the show starts, Damian puts a hand on both Regina and Janis’ shoulders and squeezes. 

The fashion show is a raging success. There are six student designers with work in it, and though Janis knows she’s biased, she likes Clara’s work the best. Clara gets the last set of walks before the finale. Janis looks over and sees half of Clara’s family in tears and then she feels someone grab her hand. She looks to her left, and there’s Regina, grasping to her hand tightly, and staring at the models walking by. One tear escapes Regina’s right eye and falls slowly down her cheek. Janis reaches over with her unoccupied hand and uses her pointer finger to gently catch it. She can feel Regina’s breath hitch, but Regina doesn’t take her eyes off the runway. 

Janis shakes herself and looks back at the models. 

And then, in pride of place in the finale, is Regina’s newest design. It’s a dark red dress. The model wearing it is pale with dark, blunt, chin-length hair, and the dress is sheer with gorgeous lace detailing. It’s tight at the bodice and flows out from the girl at the waist. It has the appearance of being lighter than air as it sort-of floats down the runway. It glimmers just a bit in the light. Enough to be eye-catching but not too much so that it’s distracting or gaudy. 

The girl walks down the aisle to a beautiful, slow song that Janis vaguely recognizes and the girl floats in time to the music. Janis knows her mouth is agape. Janis knows that she’s gripping Regina’s hand perhaps a little too tightly. Janis knows that Regina is staring at her and not at the runway. So, when the girl turns around and starts to head back, just before the applause starts, Janis leans into Regina’s ear and whispers “you’re amazing” before they need to stand and clap. They look into each other’s eyes, just for a moment, and the warmth and softness in Janis’ are reflected in Regina’s. 

When Regina gets whisked away and Janis has to head upstairs and make sure everything is ready, she walks up the stairs in a daze. She’s not quite sure how it took her so long to realize that she’s falling in love with this mature, warm, sassy, beautiful, kind, giving, sharp-witted woman who happens to also be Regina George.

She gets to the gallery and looks at the piece she’s debuting (on the wall above the entrance, directly across from Jimmy’s best work which is the first thing you see upon entering). It’s the painting she was finishing that Saturday morning, and it’s a beautiful painting of clouds being illuminated by the sun, a million and a half colors on the canvas. Janis had named it “Awe” and when she looks at the painting she feels the same thing as she does when she thinks about Regina. 

“You finally figured it out, huh.” 

Janis whips around and sees Jimmy, hands in his pocket, grinning up at her. “I wondered how long it was gonna take.”

Janis chuckles and wipes at her eyes, trying to not ruin her makeup. Jimmy takes a handkerchief out of his jacket pocket and Janis looks shocked. 

“Regina says every gentleman carries a handkerchief.”

Janis chuckles wetly. Jimmy holds out his hand to her and in it is a black sharpie. She takes it from him and walks to the little placard for her painting. She slips the paper out from behind the glass and changes the name. She slides the paper back in and stands back. She grips on to Jimmy’s arm as they stare up at the painting. Then the first guests start arriving and Janis has to let go of her moment for the time being. 

Regina comes up to the gallery and starts milling about, talking to people about Jimmy’s paintings and making sure to introduce him to the right people. Regina and Janis parade Jimmy around and make sure he feels all the splendor and glory of his accomplishments. 

The gallery is mostly empty when Regina and finally gets the courage up to truly take a moment to look at Janis’ painting. She almost doesn’t make it. Ross and Sabrina are to her right and Karen and Gretchen to her left and they all grab on to her as she tears up and her breath hitches. It’s the most beautiful thing Regina George has ever seen. 

“Why don’t you look at what it’s called,” Karen whispers into Regina’s ear and Regina walks to the placard. 

~~Awe~~ Love  
Charcoal and Acrylic on Canvas  
Janis Sarkisian

Regina tries very hard not to cry more but before she can do much of anything she hears a whisper from behind her. 

“So, what do you think.”

Regina spins around to Janis and Janis looks shocked at the tears running down Regina’s face. She walks up to Regina and grabs her by the elbows. Her brow is furrowed and she looks so concerned. “Regina... What’s wrong?” She reaches out to wipe a tear from Regina’s cheek. 

Damian and Mark and Gretchen and Karen and Ross and Sabrina and Jimmy and Clara and Tanya are all standing in a little clump, ten feet to the right of them, and they watch as Regina leans away, shakes her head, and bolts; tears streaming down her pretty face, one hand clutched to her mouth the other holding up the skirt of her dress as she flees. 

Janis is left staring at her.

Sabrina and Ross rush out, as do Karen and Gretchen. Damian and Mark converge on Janis. Jimmy and Clara exchange looks. Regina runs through the streets of Manhattan, her dress streaming behind her. The rain disguises her tears. 

•••

Regina calms down, explains to her parents why she left. Biting back tears, she tells them that she doesn’t deserve Janis, that she’ll just end up hurting Janis again. She anguishes over the fact that as soon as she realizes just how much she wants to be with Janis, just how much she loves the warm, excitable, passionate girl under the snark and sass, she also realizes that can’t love her. Regina thinks about that Saturday morning and how it’s everything she’s ever really wanted, and how pursuing that would be incredibly selfish. She takes a few days to herself and wallows. 

Ross admits to Regina that he had proposed to her mom right before they came to the gala. He’d planned on doing it later but couldn’t wait a moment longer apparently as they walked down the street and Sabrina had laughed at something they’d seen. Regina immediately throws herself into helping them plan their shotgun wedding which will take place at their home in Illinois in three weeks. 

Jimmy and Clara are disappointed in her, and they make that clear, but Regina ignores it. She throws them both into helping with the wedding. The siblings share a lot of long looks over her head or behind her back.

Janis, meanwhile, is just confused. She never thought for a moment that Regina liked her, so she reaches out. Her confusion leaks out and soon she starts blaming herself or random things. Perhaps she had embarrassed Regina, or her feelings for Regina had become obvious and Regina was disgusted, just like the first time. It hits her hard and she hits a slump. It takes a stern talking to from Damian and Gretchen (via facetime) that this wasn’t something she caused. That it has nothing to do with Janis’ feelings. That it’s Regina and her own issues. It just serves to make Janis want to see her more. 

It takes Regina a week and a half to finally respond. She makes up some bullshit excuse about being overwhelmed and having a few bad mental health days. Janis respectfully swallows the lie and tells Regina she’ll always be there for her. 

Everyone just shakes their head at their stupidity. Karen updates Cady and Aaron and the two of them call Regina and tell her she’s being a fool. Regina sullenly brushes them off. 

Damian even drops by Regina’s studio to tell her to woman up. Regina just cries at him and he holds her and tells her that this isn’t the Regina George he remembers. And when she goes to protest he tells her that the Regina George he remembers works for what she wants. She doesn’t take it, she works for it. Regina looks him dead in the eye. 

“It’s not about getting what I want, Damian. It’s about what’s best for Janis.”

She leaves for Illinois the next morning.

Meanwhile, Janis gets the invitation in the mail and stares at it. Jimmy, who’s in her studio with her that Sunday morning, throws paper at her until she verbally commits to going. She’s scrolling through her news-feed when she gets an update about Regina George. It’s an article about the wedding and a guess as to which model or actress Regina George will be inviting home as her plus one. Janis, staring at the article and thinking about walking into the George’s backyard and seeing a model on Regina’s arm will kill her. 

She calls her best friend from college, Collins, and asks her if she’ll come as her plus one. To her, it seems like the best plan. It isn’t. 

Janis Sarkisian enters the tent in the George’s backyard five days later and she tears up a little. There, greeting everyone and helping them find their seats is the most stunning version of Regina George she’s ever seen. Haloed by the setting sun, mostly-bare-faced and shining with the joy in her heart, in a gorgeous light pink dress, Regina George is nothing less than radiant. There is the tiniest bit of sadness around her eyes, but it only serves to make her more human, and more beautiful. Janis loses her breath. Collins, clued into the situation, laughs at her. Regina George has no model or actress to be found.

Regina George turns around and makes eye-contact with Janis Sarkisian for the first time in far too long and she sees Janis’ bright-eyes, and Janis is in a pair of patterned navy silk pants with silver polka dots, a light blue pinstriped silk top, and a navy blazer. For a moment, Regina inflates. And then she sees the gorgeous blonde on her arm. The blonde laughs and Janis whacks her on the arm. Regina grabs Gretchen, who is also seating people, by the arm and sends her a pleading look. Patting Regina’s hand, Gretchen seats Janis and the blonde, trying to be polite, but a fire deep in her eyes. Janis looks confused and takes her seat. 

The ceremony is gorgeous. Ross looks so happy and Sabrina is shining with joy. Regina cries and Janis stares at her the entire time. 

They move to the reception and eat food and hear speeches and then they watch the couple’s first dance. And then Ross and Regina dance. And then all three of them lead the whole crowd in the electric slide. 

An hour or two in and Janis and Collins are on the dancefloor, slightly tipsy. Meanwhile, Regina gets about a million notifications at once. 

Then Gretchen runs over to her and whisper-shouts “GOOGLE YOURSELF NOW”

“Gretchen, you know I don’t google myself.”

And then Gretchen starts to read off her phone “Regina George, now one half of lesbian power couple with Ja…” Regina slaps a hand over her mouth. 

She googles herself. 

All over google is a picture from the TGP Fashion Show. In the picture is Regina and Janis in the foreground, about half of Clara and Jimmy each is in the frame. Ross, Sabrina, and Damian are visible behind them and all of them have the same warm, giddy look. But the reason the picture has gone practically viral is because of Janis and Regina in the front. 

It seems the photographer captured the exact moment that Janis had reached over and caught the one tear on Regina’s face. Regina’s eyes are closed and she has Janis’ hand in a death grip. And Janis’ finger is just barely resting on Regina’s face, but more importantly, her face is bright and warm and the way she’s looking at Regina… well, there’s only one explanation for that. 

Below it is a picture from right after the fashion show ends. It’s when Janis had leaned in to whisper in Regina’s ear and the look on Regina’s face well… they’re pretty obvious about it in the pictures. 

Regina scans for Janis with her eyes in the crowd. 

She sees her head from a distance and walks towards her quickly and with purpose. If there was ever a moment to just throw caution to the wind and lay it all out, it’s now. 

She’s about fifteen paces away when she processes the blonde who is hanging off of Janis, her arms wrapped around Janis’ neck. Janis is supporting her to best of her ability and Janis gives a belly-laugh and buries her head in the blonde’s neck. 

Regina feels ice rush through her veins. And she drops her champagne glass, and she retreats. 

Janis looks up at the sound of shattering glass. She runs after Regina. Everything seems to be moving so fast. She’d come to this wedding with hope and love in her heart, but not about to run after Regina, who’d seemingly abandoned her again. And now here she is, sprinting after the woman she’s falling in love with. 

Just as she grabs Regina by the wrist, the song changes. She instantly realizes what song it is. She turns and sees Jimmy give her a thumbs up from next to the DJ. The song, of course, is the song that played when Regina’s red dress was debuted. The familiar sound of two female voices harmonizing above the crowd jolts Janis into action. She grins toothily.

“Regina. Wait… I miss you.”

Regina looks at her, a few tears at the corners of her eyes, and Janis flounders. 

“Will- will you dance with me?”

Regina stares at her, and before she can overthink any of it, she nods.

Janis leads her on to the dancefloor and for two blissful moments, it’s just the two of them. Slowly, they relax into each other and Regina rests her head on Janis’ shoulder and Janis snakes her arms around Regina’s waist and pulls her closer. It’s warm and the breeze rippling through the tent is calm and Janis feels more at peace than she’s felt in a very long time. Regina looks up at her as the song slows. Janis has the same look in her eyes as she did at the gala and Janis starts to lean in.

And then Regina’s voice reaches her. “What about your date?”

Janis leans back a bit, to look at Regina. “Collins?” 

Regina just nods. Janis chuckles and pulls her tighter. “Collins is my best friend from college and straighter than an arrow.” Regina flushes and looks away. 

A moment later Janis sighs. 

“Why’d you run away?”

It’s Regina’s turn to lean back now. “For the same reason I’m going to leave at the end of this song.”

Janis reflexively pulls her closer. “What?”

“Janis, I- I’m falling in love with you, but I don’t deserve you. Or, maybe more accurately, you deserve so much better. I hurt you so so terribly when we were younger. I ruined your life, and nothing is going to change that. Not how much I’ve changed and not how much time has gone by.”

“Don’t forget, I ruined your life too.”

Regina stares, empty. “Not the same.”

“But… but I forgave you for that a long time ago.”

“I won’t hurt you again.”

“You’re hurting me now.”

“Not as much as I could if we…”

“If we tried this?” Janis is flabbergasted, and her tone is rising. “I’m willing to take the risk.”

Regina detaches herself. “I’m not.”

Janis catches her wrist. “You’re not because you don’t want to, or because you’re deciding for me?”

Regina just looks at her. She leans in, kisses Janis on the cheek, achingly slow and tender. It’s a testament, perhaps, to how much Regina George has learned about herself. That she is presented with the thing she wants, has worked towards it, and refuses that which she wants, purely because she thinks the thing she wants doesn’t want her. Before it wouldn’t have mattered, if she hadn’t been given it she would have taken it, but now, this Regina draws in a shaky breath, and slips out of Janis’ arms. 

Janis just stands there, staring. She doesn’t understand Regina. She doesn’t understand any of this. She’s not sure how much time passes but suddenly someone clears their throat behind her. She turns around and there is Ross, Regina’s new stepdad. He hands Janis his phone. 

Janis looks at what’s on the screen, looks up at Ross, back down at the phone, and then she shoves it back in his hands and she’s off. It’s the article about them, and if nothing else, Janis can see the pure adoration that pours out of Regina’s eyes. Regina might not think she deserves that, or that Janis doesn’t want that, or that what she can offer won’t be enough, but Janis is determined to change her mind. 

She finds out from Clara that Regina went down to the pond on the edge of their property and Janis sprints. It takes her probably two minutes to reach the pond and there is Regina standing at the edge. The moonlight makes her dress look almost white and Janis’ breath catches like it always does. 

“Hey! Idiot!”

Regina whips around. 

“I’ve watched you run away from this too many times. I should have chased after before, and I’m not going to make that mistake again.”

Regina starts to shake her head, tears streaming down her face. 

“No. I’m tired of this whole bit about who deserves who and all the rest.” Janis grabs Regina’s hands and her smile is bright and cheeky and she scuffs her feet together just a bit and Regina’s eyes go big and soft. 

“Regina. Ever since I saw you at that reunion I knew that something was different. You amaze me. You are strong and confident and have a fire in your veins but you are soft and warm and kind and funny and you are definitely not perfect, but I would give anything for the chance to try this with you. I’m not letting you decide for me. This is my decision. Ten years ago if someone told me that one day I would willingly put my entire heart in your hand, I would have checked them into a mental asylum. But today I do it willingly, and joyfully. Regina, in the past four months you have accepted me, embraced me, celebrated me and never once asked me to change. You’re still the same girl with the fire in her blood and the ability to make a grown man cry, but now I see all of the parts of you that you hid as a teen and all of the parts of you that have grown with time. And I am absolutely falling in love with the woman in front of me.”

Tears are still streaming down Regina’s face. Janis reaches into her blazer pocket and presents a handkerchief. Regina chuckles wetly, dries her eyes, and then stares at Janis. 

“I saw those pictures from the gala.”

“Me too,” Regina whispers. 

“That’s what we could have, Regina. That could be our life. Don’t you want that?”

“Of course I do.”

“I’ve never known you to not go for what you want.”

“But what if I hurt you?”

“And what if you’re the love of my life?”

Regina’s breath catches. 

“Isn’t it worth it to find out?”

Regina is silent for a long moment, and when she stares into Janis’ warm eyes she flashes back to the first time she saw Janis’ painting of the sky and she starts crying a bit again. She nods. 

“Ok, then stop crying and kiss me.” Janis chuckles. 

On the hill, watching is everyone they love. Damian and Gretchen squeal, Ross hugs Sabrina from behind. Clara and Jimmy fist bump. Mark spins Karen around. 

Back at the pond, Regina feels like her heart is flying as she pulls Janis closer and closer to her until there’s no more space between them. Janis feels the sensation of falling finally stop and fade into something that feels a little more like sinking into blankets in the middle of winter. Regina decides to finally stop running from her happiness. 

They vaguely hear the cheering from the top of the hill and they part for just long enough to see everyone they love backlit by the fairy lights strung up for the wedding. And then Regina pulls Janis back in by the back of the neck and kisses her harder. 

•••

Regina George wakes up to light streaming in the windows. She’s warm and comfy and she stretches and is surprised when her limbs run into no resistance. She sits up in the bed that her and Janis share, in their new studio in Midtown, her hair all sticking up on the side she slept on, mostly barefaced with smudged eyeliner. She peeks over the edge of the bed and sees Janis, sitting in paint-splattered jeans and a red t-shirt and fluffy white socks, a paintbrush behind one ear, sitting with one leg dangling on her stool, staring at a canvas. Janis has paint flecked on her arms and a stripe of white across her forehead and the warm sunlight streams in on Regina and lights up the room and Janis and Regina feels happier than she has in a long time. 

Regina doesn’t feel scared as she reaches over to her bedside table and grabs the small velvet box and rolls out of bed. 

Janis is engulfed in her painting and doesn’t notice Regina until the blonde is right next to her, and when Janis turns, her breath catches at the sight of Regina George down on one knee. 

Regina George might have ruined her life. She might have ruined Regina George’s. But Regina George - the one kneeling in front of her - is the light of her life, and she would take that risk every single day for the rest of her life.


End file.
